Tag Archives: low calorie

Spinach Curbs Appetite

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No wonder the plateau diet wants you to have spinach once a day.  Spinach is an appetite suppressant, who knew?

The article that just came out on it is a medical article.

http://www.medicaldaily.com/reasons-why-you-should-eat-spinach-thylakoids-make-you-feel-more-full-regulate-blood-glucose-271079

According to a Swedish study, researchers have discovered that spinach contains thylakoid, a compound common in other green leaves that slows down food digestion.  When prepared properly, spinach has the potential to be an appetite suppressant, with the effect of making people feel fuller and curbing over-eating.  In addition to lower blood glucose levels, the thylakoids were able to suppress people’s appetites for longer, which could be useful for those who are trying to lose weight while battling constant hunger pangs.

So have it in an omelette, a smoothie or in a salad….but despite kale being a great source of iron, it is spinach that will curb your appetite and allow you to be more successful in a weight loss program.

spinach-smoothies-5911

Here is a recipe for a LOW CARB spinach smoothie.  Most smoothie recipes call for a banana.  Bananas spike blood sugar and are high in sugar and carbs (18g per medium banana).  So, here is an alternative.
1 c. water
1 c. unsweetened vanilla hemp milk or unsweetened almond milk (Trader Joe’s has a great one in the refrigerator section)
1/2 mixed frozen berries (this is what helps give it the smoothie-like consistency and temperature, although I suppose you could leave it out to dip under 10 g. of carbs)
4 cups spinach leaves (or kale, chard, dandelion, mustard greens, etc.) I’ve read its best to switch out your greens each day, so I buy 2-3 at a time. Spinach has the mildest flavor, so you might want to ease into green smoothies with this first.
3 tsp. flax seeds
1 Tb. almond butter

Blend and serve! Should be more than enough to drink and share.  Can replace a meal(out of six), salads and your fruit for the day.  Should be about 17g of carbs if you drink the whole thing!  It is less carbs if it is in a salad.  There is about 1 carb per cup of spinach.

Girl Scout Cookie Time–Oh No!

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Starting this week, Girl Scout Cookies will be out!  You will see the troops out in force, selling their cookies all through February.  Yes, it is for a good cause, but basically, Girl Scout cookies are not good for you. They are made primarily from a combination of refined white flour, sweeteners, and oil, they offer little nutritional goodness.  No preservatives are used in any Girl Scout cookies. But high-fructose corn syrup is in some of the recipes.

For years, the Girl Scouts has raised money for itself largely through cookie sales. Over the years, as waistlines have expanded and obesity rates have risen, the Girl Scouts have required its bakers to keep one healthier cookie in the lineup.

This year they have added Mango Cremes to the lineup. The vanilla and coconut sandwich cookies have a mango creme-flavored filling.  But, they are still fattening.

girlscout

All of the Girl Scout cookies are trans-fat-free per serving, in accordance with FDA guidelines, and many are 100% trans-fat-free. (trans fats are deadly enough that even the FDA said that it needs to be outlawed.

And, zero trans fat does not necessarily mean no trans fat. The FDA allows products to say they have “zero trans fat” if they have less than half a gram of trans fat per serving. Only when a box claims it is 100% trans-fat free does it mean there is really no trans fat in the cookies.

If you eat four Girl Scout cookies that contain trans fats, you could exceed the 2010 Dietary Guideline limit of 1 gram per day.

 

 They are about 5g of carbs per cookie.  If you could just eat one or two and then give away the rest, that would be ok…but many people order them and eat the whole box.  Girl Scout Cookies are NOT good for the waistline or  your health.  I would rather have something that has less sugar and still tastes good.

MY SOLUTION:

Power_Crunch_Banner

Power Crunch (Smart and Final, Trader Joes or online at places like Vitacost.com) make delish low-carb, high protein wafer bars that taste like good cookies.  There are Quest bars too. They are tasty, filling and won’t make you fat if eaten as part of your 6 protein meals a day.

There are also places online that sell other types of low-carb bars, like http://www.dietdirect.com/protidiet-pro-amino-products-103.html

 

So, here are the Girl Scout cookie flavors, with nutritional info.  Thanks to WebMD for the information.  

Keep in mind two things.

1.  You need to eat 6 protein meals a day and you need to keep your carbs between 50 to 100g per day to lose weight.  And there is little to no protein in these cookies.

2.  Sugar grams are about 4 grams per sugar cube.  So if two cookies is 11g of sugar, that is about 3 sugar cubes that you are eating!

 

Thank You Berry Munch

  • Serving size: 2 cookies (7 servings per box)
  • Calories: 120
  • Fat: 5 grams
  • Saturated fat: 2 grams
  • Trans fat: 0 grams
  • Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
  • Sodium: 75 milligrams
  • Carb: 17 grams
  • Fiber: 0 grams
  • Sugars: 7 grams
  • Protein: 1 gram
  • First three ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable oil

Thin Mints

  • Serving size: 4 cookies (7-8 servings per box)
  • Calories: 160
  • Fat: 7-8 grams
  • Saturated fat: 5-6 grams
  • Trans fat: 0 grams
  • Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
  • Sodium: 110-125 milligrams
  • Carb: 22 grams
  • Fiber: Less than 1 gram
  • Sugars: 10-11 grams
  • Protein: 1-2 grams
  • First three ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable shortening

Samoas/Caramel deLites

  • Serving size: 2 cookies (7-8 servings per box)
  • Calories: 150/130
  • Fat: 8/6 grams
  • Saturated fat: 6/5 grams
  • Trans fat: 0 grams
  • Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
  • Sodium: 60/55 milligrams
  • Carb: 18/19 grams
  • Fiber: Less than 1 gram/1 gram
  • Sugars: 11/12 grams
  • Protein: less than 1 gram/1 gram
  • First three ingredients: sugar, vegetable oil, enriched flour; (Samoas), sugar, enriched flour, corn syrup, vegetable shortening (Caramel deLites)

Do-Si-Dos/Peanut Butter Sandwich

  • Serving size: 3 cookies (6/7 servings per box)
  • Calories: 160
  • Fat: 7/6 grams
  • Saturated fat: 2/2.5 grams
  • Trans fat: 0 grams
  • Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
  • Sodium: 100/135 milligrams
  • Carb: 22/26 grams
  • Fiber: 1 gram/less than 1 gram
  • Sugars: 11/8 grams
  • Protein: 3/2 grams
  • First three ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, whole grain oats, oil (Do-Si-Dos); enriched flour, sugar, peanuts, (Peanut Butter Sandwich)

Trefoils/Shortbread

  • Serving size: 4/5 cookies (8/10 servings per box)
  • Calories: 160/120
  • Fat: 7/4.5 grams
  • Saturated fat: 2.5/2 grams
  • Trans fat: 0 grams
  • Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
  • Sodium: 95/100 milligrams
  • Carb: 22/19 grams
  • Fiber: 0/less than 1 gram
  • Sugars: 7/4 grams
  • Protein: 2/1 grams
  • First three ingredients: enriched flour, soybean and palm oil, sugar (Trefoils); enriched flour, sugar, palm oil (Shortbread)

Tagalongs/Peanut Butter Patties

  • Serving size: 2 cookies (7 servings per box)
  • Calories: 140/130
  • Fat: 9/7 grams
  • Saturated fat: 5/4 grams
  • Trans fat: 0 grams
  • Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
  • Sodium: 95/100 milligrams
  • Carb: 13/15 grams
  • Fiber: Less than 1 gram/1 gram
  • Sugars: 8 grams
  • Protein: 2 grams
  • First three ingredients: peanuts, sugar, vegetable oil (Tagalongs); sugar, enriched flour, peanuts, (Peanut Butter Patties

Thanks-A-Lot

  • Serving size: 2 cookies (8 servings per box)
  • Calories: 150
  • Fat: 6 grams
  • Saturated fat: 4.5 grams
  • Trans fat: 0 grams
  • Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
  • Sodium: 110 milligrams
  • Carb: 22 grams
  • Fiber: 0 grams
  • Sugars: 11 grams
  • Protein: 1 gram
  • First three ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable shortening

Dulce de Leche

  • Serving size: 4 cookies (5 servings per box)
  • Calories: 160
  • Fat: 8 grams
  • Saturated fat: 3.5 grams
  • Trans fat: 0 grams
  • Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
  • Sodium: 70 milligrams
  • Carb: 20 grams
  • Fiber: 0 grams
  • Sugars: 9 grams
  • Protein: 1 gram
  • First three ingredients:  enriched flour, soybean and palm oil, dulce de leche flavored drops

Lemonades

  • Serving size: 2 cookies (8 servings per box)
  • Calories: 150
  • Fat: 7 grams
  • Saturated fat: 4 grams
  • Trans fat: 0 grams
  • Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
  • Sodium: 80 milligrams
  • Carb: 22 grams
  • Fiber: 0 grams
  • Sugars: 9 grams
  • Protein: 1 gram
  • First three ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable shortening

Savannah Smiles

  • Serving size: 5 cookies (5 servings per box)
  • Calories: 140 calories
  • Fat: 5 grams
  • Saturated fat: 1.5 grams
  • Trans fat: 0 grams
  • Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
  • Sodium: 125 milligrams
  • Carb: 23 grams
  • Fiber: 0 grams
  • Sugars: 10 grams
  • Protein: 1 gram
  • First three ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable oil

Mango Cremes

  • Serving size: 3 cookies (7 servings per box)
  • Calories: 180
  • Fat: 8 grams
  • Saturated fat: 4 grams
  • Trans fat: 0 grams
  • Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
  • Sodium: 100 milligrams
  • Carb: 25 grams
  • Fiber: 1 gram
  • Sugars: 11 grams
  • Protein: 1 gram
  • First three ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, palm oil

If you want to support the Girl Scouts, order their cookie shirts instead or one of their products.

http://www.girlscoutshop.com/

 

The Skinny on Mexican Food

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Recently. I read that almost 33 percent of Mexicans are obese, making it the most obese nation in the world,

We have a huge population of people in the U.S., who are also obese and eat Mexican food. So, is Mexican food fattening?

The issue is that due to high prices in Mexico, the regular population cannot afford the vegetables and fruit, so they stick to the American Junk food items (hamburgers, soda, pizza) and the cheaper Mexican meals.

Mexicans wryly call their foods of choice, “Vitamin T”–the tacos, tamales and tostadas. These foods anchor their diet and are much of the problem. Once reserved for special occasions, the carbohydrate and lard-loaded dishes now get gobbled daily.

That wasn’t so much a problem in past generations, when most Mexicans lived on the land, worked hard physical labor and couldn’t afford a daily feast. These heavy carved foods are not meant for daily consumption. And the more sedentary lifestyles, combined with the ability to eat as if it were a party most days, has helped lead to the country’s girth growth.

There are plenty of healthier choices like broth-based soups, fresh fish, salads, vegetables and fruits. But those tend to be more expensive for the Mexican poor and working class. And the heavier fare is just so good and addictive. Carbs are addictive.

People who eat Mexican food this way on America are also facing a weight challenge.

I went to a Mexican restaurant recently, after being afraid to eat Mexican food and I ordered a grilled chicken salad. It was delicious. Lettuce, guacamole, cheese, tomato and seasoned grilled chicken–served with a guacamole dressing. I am pretty site my meals was under 10g of carbs, compared to a burrito with the heavily-carbed rice and beans, at 50 or 60g of carbs.

My salad was tasty, filling and I will stay thin with it. I don’t want to go over 100g of carbs a day. This is the right way to eat and even the old school thinner Mexican way to eat. We need to learn that we can’t eat party style every day. We need to eat right and only eat Vitamin T on special occasions.

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Sonic Juice Carb Boom

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So, today, I mentioned to a friend that her not having a Sonic Fast Food joint in her neighborhood is maybe a blessing in disguise.  She was lamenting that there is one where she visits, and she likes to one near her home so she can go there for their fruit slush.  I looked it up online.  It is shocking!  As many people believe it to be true, she thinks that “juice” is a better choice to the fast food.  But, as I discussed in yesterday’s blog, it isn’t.

 

sonic

Look at the comparisons:

Sonic Cheeseburger with mayo:  8g of sugar, 35g of protein, 44g of carbs.  Now, I know that if I don ‘t eat the bun, I will lower the sugar content and the carbs.  The carbs without the bun–about 12g. 

Sonic MEDIUM Strawberry “Fresh Fruit” Slush:  76g of sugar,  1g of protein, 82g of carbs.  The only good thing is has going for it is less sodium and calories than the burger.

Sonic LARGE Strawberry “Fresh Fruit” Slush:  120g of sugar, 1g of protein, 128g of carbs.

 

If you want to gain weight, you have to eat more than 100g of carbs a day.  Unless you exercised hardcore for a few hours, I wouldn’t recommend this much sugar and carbs.

The sugar content of 120g of sugar is equivalent to 30 sugar cubes.  Would you eat 30 sugar cubes? (There are about 28 cubes in this picture.)

cubes

 

 

SOLUTION:

Choice A:  Eat the burger without the bun.

Choice B:  Go to the store and get some fruit and water.

Choice C:  Get a SMALL slush and only drink about half of the small and split it with a friend or spill half of  it out.  Half of a small is about 22g of carbs, about 20g of sugar or 5 sugar cubes.  Not great, but better if you see it as a treat and your fruit for the day, but don’t make a habit of it.  It isn’t really your fruit because the fiber and nutrients are in the pulp and that is not here.  This is really just pure sugar.

 

Low Sugar and Carb Toppings

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Walden Farms makes outrageously tasty toppings and syrups for those who are either on a low sugar, low-calorie or low carb diet or are just diabetic.  You should try one or more and there is a sale right now on Vitacost.com.  There are some stores that carry some of the products, but you should check it out.   Any order over $45 has free shipping.  Chocolate sauce, jams, pasta sauce, salad dressing, etc.

http://www.vitacost.com/productResults.aspx?NttSR=1&ss=1&x=0&y=0&ntk=products&Ntt=Walden%20farms%20fudge

 

walden

 

 

You Can Have Your Cake And Eat It Too

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Dr. Oz had a guest, who spoke about the importance of low sugar in a diet.  Jorge Cruise has great recipes on his site, Jorgecruise.com.  But, he has a recipe for no-sugar, low-calorie chocolate cake.  It is small, it is quick and you cook it in the microwave for 60 seconds.  So, I tried it and even my husband liked it.  I recommend it for those with a sweet or chocolate tooth!

2 minute chocolate cake recipe:

1/4 cup Truvia Baking Blend

1.2 cup almond flour

3 tablespoons unsweetend cocoa powder

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/2  teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 egg

2 tablespoons half and half

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, mix, pour 1/4 of mixture into a mug (can make 4 mugs, filled up about 1/5 of each cup because it expands).  Cook mug  in microwave for 60 seconds.

trim a little around the edge of the mug and then pour out onto a plate.  Then put whip cream on top.

Here are pictures of the process.  I would say there is about 2-3g of carbs in this little delicacy for the day!

cakemixes cakemixbowl cakemixdark cakemixcooked cakemixcookedout finished cake

How to Count Calories

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I prefer to count carbs and watch my portion control.  I eat 50-100g of carbs per day, have 6 small portions of proteins a day, four small servings of veggies and two small servings of fruit each day, two small salads per day, watching what choices I make on all of them.  However, some people want to know how to count calories.  Here is how:

    1. Determine How Many Calories You Should EatHow many calories you need to eat to maintain your current weight depends on factors such as your gender, age, height, weight, and activity level. Your body uses about two-thirds of the calories you consume each day just to keep its systems functioning — your heart beating, your muscles moving. The rest of your calorie intake, according to My Calorie Counter, fuels everyday activities.To find out your ideal caloric intake, start by calculating what’s known as your base metabolic rate (BMR):
      • Women: Multiply your weight by 10. Men: Multiply by 11. This is your BMR.
      • Now add to that 20 percent of your BMR if you have a sedentary lifestyle; 30 percent if you are somewhat active; 40 percent if you are moderately active; or 50 percent if you are very active.
      • The number you get is how many calories you need to maintain your weight.

1.  Count How Many Calories You Actually Eat and Burn

You can track your calories online at MyCalorieCounter.com or their app.  Also, you can list how many calories you burned.

You can easily cut 500 calories by making small diet and exercise changes throughout your day. Here’s one approach:

      • Breakfast: Drink water instead of orange juice (calories saved: 117)
      • Snack: Have sliced cucumber and a tablespoon of hummus instead of a bag of chips (calories saved: 119)
      • Lunch: Swap out your salad’s creamy ranch dressing for fat-free Italian (calories saved: 66)
      • Dessert: Eat half of a cup of strawberries instead of a half of a cup of chocolate ice cream (calories saved: 118).
      • Exercise: Stroll at a moderate pace for 30 minutes (calories burned: 125 for a woman weighing 145)

2.  Get Portion Saavy.

In a world where SUPERSIZED is the new normal, these tips can help you recognize what a healthy portion looks like, which can help you keep calories in check:

    • Think of a tennis ball. It’s the equivalent of one cup of food, which is the recommended portion for such foods as pasta, cereal, and yogurt.
    • Don’t eat straight out of the container or bag. It’s a recipe for mindlessly overeating. Instead, measure a serving size of whatever you’re noshing on — almonds, soy chips, or other snacks — and put it on a plate or in a bowl.
    • Use smaller plates. Trick your mind into thinking that you have more food by downsizing your large dinner plate for a smaller salad-sized one. A healthy portion can look teeny on a huge plate but will seem more normal when you shrink its surroundings.
    • Spoil your appetite with nutritious food. Try eating celery sticks with peanut butter an hour before mealtime.

Remember to keep portion size in control and count calories and/or carbs!  Read labels!

counting-calories